Newspaper packaging poses health risks: FDA fines Mumbai food vendors | Mumbai News
2 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jun 16, 2026 08:05 PM IST
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a crackdown against food vendors using newspapers to wrap or package food items, citing serious health risks posed by printing ink and unhygienic handling of newsprint.
Around 55 food establishments across the city were inspected in a special drive between June 5 and June 16, following earlier advisories issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) prohibiting the use of newspapers for packing food or bringing them in direct contact with food items, FDA officials said on Tuesday.
Out of the 55 establishments inspected, 26 were found using newspapers for food packaging or sale of food products, leading to action under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
According to FDA officials, 26 violation cases were registered. So far, 17 cases have been disposed of, with a total compounding penalty of Rs 1.51 lakh recovered from the food business operators. Proceedings in the remaining cases are ongoing.
“The use of newspapers for wrapping food poses significant health hazards. Printing ink used in newspapers contains harmful dyes, chemicals, lead and other heavy metals that can get into food, particularly when hot or oily food items are wrapped in newsprint.
Long-term exposure to such contaminants can result in serious health complications,” the officials said.
The FDA also pointed out that newspapers are often exposed to unhygienic conditions during printing, transportation and distribution, making them potential carriers of disease-causing micro-organisms.
“Wrapping hot or oily food in newspapers can cause chemical components present in the ink to leach into the food, making it unsafe for consumption,” the FDA said, urging all food business operators to immediately discontinue the practice and comply with food safety regulations.
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